With Clock Ticking, Senate Fails to Vote on Spending Bill

Government funding expired at 12:01 a.m. Saturday

WASHINGTON -- After hours of finger-pointing, posturing, and attempts to negotiate a compromise, Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure that would have extended the CHIP children’s insurance program for 6 years and kept the government running until mid-February.

In a procedural motion to end debate on the bill and bring it to a vote, senators voted 50-49 — not enough since 60 votes were needed. The vote was mostly along party lines, but five Democrats voted to end debate and five Republicans voted the other way.

After midnight, leaders from each party surveyed the situation.

“What we’ve just witnessed on the floor was a cynical decision by Democrats to shove aside millions of Americans for the sake of irresponsible political gains,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “What has their filibuster accomplished? The answer is simple: Their very own government shutdown.”

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Republicans were responsible for the shutdown. Republicans “didn’t reach out to us once,” he said. “They control every branch of legislative process and it’s their responsibility to govern and here, they have failed.”

Schumer also blamed President Trump for being unwilling to compromise in discussions earlier that day when Schumer had laid out an offer he felt was fair.“President Trump, if you’re listening… please take ‘Yes’ for an answer.”

Senators planned to reconvene at noon on Saturday. McConnell said he would offer a shorter-term continuing resolution — with all the same provisions — that would fund the government until Feb. 8. However, any change from the bill already passed in the House would require a new vote there.

Government funding expired at midnight on Friday. Many operations will now stop or wind down, although those directly related to public safety will continue despite a shutdown. HHS said it would furlough about half of its employees in the event of a shutdown extending into Monday.

Democrats balked at the idea of legislation that didn't include a fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that offers protection from deportation for undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children.

In addition to funding CHIP, which covers 9 million low-income children whose families earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, the bill would also delay several Obamacare taxes, including the medical device tax and the unpopular "Cadillac tax" on high-cost health insurance plans.

"We've had an incredible failure of leadership," said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) who accused Republicans of "kicking the can" and "moving the goalposts" by putting forward yet another continuing resolution.

"The Senate passed a tax bill with permanent relief for corporations; why not give children at least 10 years?" Casey said.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) argued that Democrats were being irrational.

"We can find solutions to our nation's biggest challenges ... but it makes it more difficult not less difficult to find solutions when people shut the government down," he said.

He also warned of the potential consequences of a shutdown.

"We're in one of the most severe flu seasons this country's seen. CDC's got a lot of work to do. Shut the government down, the CDC can no longer get information from the states about where that flu epidemic is heading and that makes a difference on where they send vaccines to," he argued.

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) reportedly pushed an even shorter stopgap plan to fund the government only through Feb. 8. However, even if that bill passed the Senate, it would have to go back to the House for a new vote there, which could not avert at least a brief shutdown.

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